For centuries bamboo has been used in everyday life and in many different cultures throughout the world. A gigantic and extraordinary type, known as Guadua angustifolia 'Kunth', is considered one of the 20 best bamboo species in the world.

Bamboo forests have many environmental benefits because they function as carbon sinks, produce oxygen, control soil erosion, provide organic matter, regulate water levels in watersheds, conserve biodiversity, beautify the landscape, and essentially contribute to the purification and regulation of the environment.

In order to analyze annual stem production and yield projections for a bamboo plantation, it is important to understand how bamboo grows. Since bamboo is a type of grass, the growth and formation of a bamboo forest or plantation is very different than that of trees.

Choosing the optimal soil to grow Guadua bamboo is one of the most important determinants for success or failure of a commercial Guadua bamboo plantation. A good selection of soil, coupled with optimal climate conditions, may generate Guadua angustifolia stems taller than 20m high, or in the contrary stems of maximum 6 or 7m high.

When browsing the internet for the term "investing in bamboo plantations", Google will come up with a growing amount of bamboo investment schemes promising you very high returns. The question is, are these forestry schemes and returns on investment realistic, isn't this another too good to be true bamboo investment scam?

In 2010, the Larenstein University in The Netherlands performed an interesting study comparing mechanical properties of bamboo. Guadua and Moso, which are the best and most common bamboos for industrial processing, were used in this research report.